 Hello, viewers. Preparing for EPSA examination or any exam for that matter has integral parts. You have to first study, then you have to revise it regularly and then you have to take mock test to assess your level of preparation and understanding. And you can also take the help of mentors to know how to wrap up your preparation. But among all these lies the integral part which is note making. Yes, still note making is the unsung hero of study techniques. And many of you have also already requested us to make a video on this matter. So, I am going to address the query of yours in this video. In this video we will be seeing about some of the prominent and right methods and techniques in note making. Before that why note making is important? Yes, it is important for revision. It will help you to revise the frequently occurring topics. And second it helps you to you know bring down the large volume static portions into small and crisp notes. So, this will again help you in your revision plus it will make it easy for you to revise and visit these areas and contents whenever you want. And most importantly note making is an integral as well as mandatory part of mains preparation. But for problems it is optional. Now comes the question of where should I take the notes? Now here I have two techniques. One is based on technology and the other one is pen and paper method. Now under technology yes I am talking about the e-notes method. Now under e-notes you can take notes in your laptop, iPad, in your phones and you can use the applications like Google OneNote. So, you can update and take down the points in these applications. Now if you take the pen and paper here also I have two particular methods. Now the first important method will be the use of loose papers. Now here you can take down the contents topic wise and you can segregate these contents using areas or based on the subjects or based on the syllabus also. And next comes the method of notebook. Yes like how we used to do in our college days we can use notebooks here also. But the question is which one is the best method? Now this depends on your convenience as well as based on the advantages associated with each of these methods. Now if you take the e-note here you have the advantage of you know retrieving it and revising it whenever you want and you can also copy and paste the contents from online sources easily. But one major disadvantage with e-note making is you do not have the feeling of writing. See writing becomes important because we have main examination which is a subjective paper and it is a written examination. Plus writing helps you to retain the contents in your permanent memory. But this writing is not possible in e-note making. But if you take the other method which is using loose papers here definitely you will have writing you will be taking down the notes using pen or pencil. And second it will be easy for you to add updates also because you can just insert one page in any topic and you can note down the update. But one of the major problems with this type of note making which is using loose papers is you know you can easily lose those papers that is one paper can be missing anytime or you may miss a whole area itself. So unless you are going to use a file or a proper folder to hold all those papers it will be not easy for you to maintain those papers. And if you take the note making method this problem is addressed there because already here the papers are binded together. So for note making what you can do is you can just partition the notebook and then you can take down the notes. And definitely here also you will have writing but the problem with this method is it is difficult to note down the updates because you cannot insert any page easily there rather you would have to you know make use of sticky notes. But in sticky notes also you will be having small space only. So these are some of the advantages and disadvantages in each of the methods. You can try each method and see which one is suitable for you. If you ask me I use the loose papers method but my friend uses the one note method and we both have a different kinds of preparation. And now what you have to note down in these notes and how you have to note down. Before noting down anything you have to remember one key point whatever you write in these notes it should be in such a way that it will be addressing each of the questions in every topic or it should be addressing any areas that could be a potential mains question. Now for this you need not you know note down everything that you see or you need not just leave points because you think it is vague. You have to be judicious in noting down the points. Let me take an example here. Assume that the Central Vigilance Commission has released a report today on corruption. Now here the current affairs will be the report findings and the recommendations of the commission. But what will be the static portion? You have to know that also. So regarding static portion will be noting down about you know what is CVC, what are its objectives and under which ministry it comes whether it is a statutory body or a constitutional body will be noting down which committee recommended it. So these are the crucial points that you have to know. But rather if you note down the unnecessary points like you know the techniques or methodology used in the report or the name of the CVC commissioner and all it is not important for the UPACI preparation. See the name of the CVC commissioner may be important in your bank exam or state level examination but not relevant in UPACI examination. So this is how you judiciously decide which content or which line is important in your note making. Now next will you be writing whatever you see like you know if the statement says this report has been released by World Bank. Will you be writing like this? No because if you write like that you will be noting down whatever there in the original source rather you just have to write like you know published by World Bank. This will be the short method. So here you will be using keywords, abbreviations, you will be using diagrams, flowcharts, mindmaps you will be using statistics and data and this is how you will make your note concise. Now regarding flowcharts, diagrams and mindmaps make sure that use them often in your note making otherwise you will find it difficult to use them in mains answer writing and as you know using these fetches your marks in mains and then make sure that your notes are arranged in such a way that each topic has you know why, where, when and what etc and this is where subheadings come. These subheadings will help you to organize your topics and it will help you to you know use sub areas, sub topics. For example, let me take Ukraine. Now before February 2022 whenever we talked about Ukraine we will be seeing about geography or you will be revising about the rivers or the bordering countries of Ukraine and the trade relations which Ukraine has with India. But after February 2022, Russia-Ukraine war is important for us. Now regarding this war what we have to note down is what led to this war or who are all behind this and what are the consequences particularly how it affects the international trade and what are the way forward and how India is in middle of everything. So these will be your subheadings. Now whenever you see any update on this issue you can just go to that topic and you can note down that update in that particular subheading. This will help you to update your notes regularly. And then wherever possible take down some prominent courts also courts by famous personalities, economists and the prominent world leaders. You can start your main sansa writing with those courts or can end it with it. And then finally after making notes just do not keep it aside review it regularly. Reviewing will make you revise it regularly and update it with current affairs. So note making is important and finally revising it is more important in our preparation. Because the mantra for clearing examination is regular revising as it will help you to retain the knowledge in your permanent memory. So that is all viewers. In this video we address the issue of note making, how to make notes and what are the prominent methods used by toppers. Now if you have any other interesting techniques share it with us in the comment section. I will meet you in our next video. Thank you.